It took a single call

I found out that it is good to harass people when you need things to be done ASAP. I recently sent my camera to the shops due to an ongoing defect after they did a shoddy job at it the last time. Told the service centre at Lintas that I want it fast and that I reiterated that this is the second time I’m sending the camera for the same problems, he assured me it’ll be sent by Monday to Kl. A wait for a few days and a call to the Bandar Utama Service Centre and I was told be the receptionist that they had my unit, and again I reiterated that I’m disgruntled and would not tolerate another shoddy work like the previous one and if nothing is being done I’m going to send a letter to their corporate headquarters in Kl as well as Japan (Thanks Papi for that suggestion). She assured me she will check on its status and that it would be taken care of.

After 5 minutes, I got a call on my phone and it was the same receptionist telling me that she had talked to the technician and that my camera is done (wow that was just 4 working days counting transit while it took them 2 bloody months previously) and where would I like to pick it up. They say transport would take 4 days and so I redirected them to send it to the Kuantan branch for pickup. Again I stated, “ARE YOU SURE THAT MY CAMERA IS 100% FREE FROM DEFECTS!?” She assured me it was, okay so I’ll let it slide for now, but if there is hooooo they’re gonna PPPAAAAYYY!!!! Mmmmuuuuhahahahahaha!!!!!! My acting the irate customer does help as compared to hoping they’d do a professional job if asked nicely and left alone. I still wonder how long I would've been made to wait if I didn't take the initiative to call, maybe the engineers would slack off and decide my case wasn't urgent enough to warrant their attention or they might take their sweet time to even enquire me about my camera or that the delivery process would be a snail's crawl to get it to Kota Kinabalu even if I mentioned in my note to them that I would like to pick my camera up at either Kl or Kuantan.

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A doggy goes a flying

The last few days I’ve just underwent a crash course in the transportation of pets across the South China Sea. One of my pups was adopted by my housemate Kelvin and he plans to send Ellie Marmalade back to Penang this Chinese New Year. What he wanted to know was how this can be done. A good question, one which I contemplated as one day I will wish to send Lady back to Peninsular after I’ve graduated my masters. I knew there would be some paper work done and a need to contact the airlines cargo department on the transportation of live animals, but the extent of the hardship that separates East Malaysia and West Malaysia was huge.

The first thing I was told when I contacted MAS was that they did not know what the requirements was, I was given a number of their Cargo department. There I was told that they do handle live animal transport yet does not know the actual procedure to send pets overseas, another number was given to me, that of the Sabah Veterinary Services. Here I was bounced from one department to another until I was settled and referred to the Licensing Department. Luckily they said they do handle these matters, yet……

Yet the Peninsular Veterinary Department and the Sabah Veterinary department are not connected and that paperwork needed must be done at the Kl office at Wisma Chase Perdana near Bukit Damansara. It turns out that the importation/exportation of pets (they make it sound like I’m dealing with some endangered species!) are regulated between East and West. Firstly an import permit would be needed to acknowledge that Peninsular would accept your animal, this would need either a person to sign and pay for the fees in Kl or a mailed copy of the form with payment to Kl. Next, after obtaining the permit (which is valid for 30 days), you’ll need to apply for an export permit from Sabah Veterinary Department so that you can get permission to bring out your animal, this would entail a visit to the office, payment of the fees, send your pet for a medical examination from a vet of their appointment (cert valid for 7 days), pay the vet fees and you get your permit! Oh before I forget, your pet must be vaccinated by a vet with documentation stating so. Okay with all these you are set, oh yes there’s the arrangements needed to be made with the airline cargo department, airport clearance, freight handling for live cargo, another airport clearance before poor doggy can safely set foot on solid ground again. Oh and also read up on the restricted breeds list where German Shepard, Rotweillers, bull dogs etc are required to obtain special exemptions from the Director of the Veterinary Department before being allowed to be sent. The logistics alone to ensure that all your licences are valid in the timeframe you obtain them as well as arrangements such as air travel can be staggering!

All that just to get a dog from point A to point B. It feels like I’m trying to send my pet into another country! This reminds me so much that no matter how long we have been a nation state, the divide of East and West Malaysia still exists such as the non-uniformity of its government departments, rules and regulations. It’s lucky that pets from within Malaysia do not require quarantine facilities which costs about RM70 a week, blessings for small favours. Anecdote; your permit states the final destination for your pet, thus if its stated Penang, if you transit from Kk to KLIA before heading to Penang, you can check out but your pet cannot leave the airport as it does not have clearance to be in Kl thus it has to remain in cargo before being flown to Penang, never leaving the airport grounds. Of course your pet can travel unaccompanied, just have the required papers, send your dog/cat onto the plane and ensure that someone is at the other end to pick them up and present even more paper work. Thankfully the staffs at the Department were quite kind in answering my questions and queries both by phone and through e-mail. Now if only dogs grew wings, it’d be less of a hassle.

Department of Veterinary Services Malaysia FAQ answers a lot of questions one would have to sort through the tangled regulations.

Flowchart

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WordPhoto: Crack

A crack forming on the hull of a sampan (small wooden canoe) used for the seaweed farmers at Banggi Island, Kudat, Sabah, 2005.

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Jan 7: Continuations Part 2

Nets

One of the local fishermen speding the lull time in mending holes in the fishing nets.

The villages were situated collectively and far between each other, journey of about half an hour to longer be the norm from getting to one place to another. From one end of the island to the other, the boat ride can be expected to take 2 hours at the highest speed. Geographically, Pulau Banggi and the adjacent islands provide a landmass larger than Singapore. The main village is of course Kampung Karakit where government services and supply stations are situated while the villages elsewhere are most often a ramshackle collection of wooden huts with corrugated roofing. Many villagers are hard core poor with earnings of below RM300 and carry out farming or fishing to supplement their meagre income, fishing being the main occupation of most here. The stark reality of how hard life is can be seen by the situation of one of the foreman of the project. His wages as a supervisor is RM400 a month, he is married and has 12 kids, calculation would tell that its about RM30 per kids per month, for many of us this is unthinkable. This is one problem that the Seaweed project hopes to help.

Boat

One of the largest wooden sampans I've ever seen. It will be used for the journey past the Philippines border to purchase seaweed seedlings from farmers in the country to be brought back for propagation.

By around 2 the seaweed gathering was done and the payment was given to the villagers, the seaweed will then be brought back to the central seaweed plot near Kaligau and later split into smaller fronds to be replanted and distributed. Excess seaweed is dried and stored for future sales. We finished with our visits at around 3 and we had lunch at the diners with ABC to stave off the hot day. Getting onto the jetty was tricky as we had to cross from our boat onto another bigger boat with the threat of me being sliced in half as the waves cause both to rock while I had to scale to boat’s side (nearly fell too as a sudden lurch sent me hanging to the side in mid air). The afternoon there wasn’t much to do thus I sat outside to watch the villagers (inside was sweltering). Mr. Ramlan and a few of the workers there were testing out the new ping pong table and having a great time. A group of kids were playing outside, a bunch trying to ‘jolok’ a coconut from the tree while around 4.30 p.m. the ferry spewed out people coming from Kudat. Taking a walk around I found stalls selling grilled fish by the road side as well as grilled chicken backsides. Bought a few (RM1.50 each fish) for dinner and walked about some more. Life here can be simple; the kampung life is clearly visible here. For dinner Mr Ramlan decided to cook for a change and he made fried fish, fried long beans and blanched brinjal.

Ramlan

En. Ramlan enjoying the ride back home by laying back to relax as the sea breeze blew.

A meeting was scheduled tonight to discuss with the site supervisors on the project. Each of them came in turn in their kain pelikat and songkok, ranging from old veterans of 70 years of age to younger members in their 20s. The meeting was quite heated, many issues and problems were reiterated especially on the decline of some farms and the lost of interest by certain villagers from the programme. Problems were discussed, dissected and solutions voiced. Each was given a turn in putting in their views and voice. What was apparent was getting the villagers interested in the long run and creating social engineering in the betterment of their livelihood is not a simple process. From crop failures from disease and predation to the low commitment by the participants, the project might be facing a hard sell. It lasted for 4 hours stretching far into midnight with coffee served all round the table to those present.

The main thrust of the problems faced are;

1) Pests in the form of turtles and fishes are stripping away the crops disheartening the farmer who invested their time in cultivating the seaweed.

2) Problems with factional kampung politics which at times makes it difficult for the supervisors to direct their followers in planting schedule.

3) A lack of self interest and effort in continuing maintenance in their farms and of knowledge procurement to self sustain farms after UMS staff hands over responsibilities to concentrate on other farms needing help.

4) The lackadasical attitude of the locals which only treat the project when it suits their whims and as quickly abandoned planting if opportunity presents itself for other work such as vegetable cultivation.

5) Locals not following instructions of the supervisors on proper cultivation methods leading to substandard seaweed quality yet demands for higher payment.

6) New sites are not yielding as good a results as the test plots, factor differences may account for this.

7) Participants not giving their best and often drop out after a few months of the program.

These were discussed and solutions mooted for further discussion and action taking. Thus ends another day.

Meeting

Supervisors of the seaweed farms as well as participants congreagating at the office for a late session brainstorming and progress meeting.

Karakit

View of Kampung Karakit, the building at the top of the hill is the government quarters, land office and government clinic, below are some of the kampung houses.

Kid

Kid entertaining himself with a self made toy, a rubber slipper tied to a length of string.

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Pesta Ang Pow UMS 2005

The UMS Chinese community has made the celebration of the Chinese New Year a yearly event in the form of Pesta Ang Pow (PAP). In other states back in Peninsular, this might not be much of a matter as travelling back to their hometown to be with family is relatively an easy matter with various mode of transport available to make the journey. Often the holidays would see an entire exodus of the campus where no one but those that are forced to by unavoidable circumstances is left behind. For most students in UMS especially those from Peninsular Malaysia, this is not always an easy option. Firstly the Chinese New Year (CNY) public holiday is often only 2 days of break (first two days of the 15 day celebration) and with the term end drawing near, always constitute a tidy amount of workload; for the final years the pressure is on to finish of their thesis for submission after the CNY break as well as the ensuing viva, for others exam week is just around the corner also somewhere near the end of February with the CNY holiday amalgamated with the Study Week (in actual fact depriving the students of holidays). Plus the only transport back would be by air (MAS or Air Asia) and seats are highly sought after to the point that full booking are often the norm months before the actual date of the festival. I myself have never had the chance to travel back for a single CNY celebration for the whole three years of undergraduate studies here.

Actress

Adrian, Chee Tong and I posing with one of the actress starring in the play during PAP.

Thus the PAP presents the Chinese community as well as those from the other races an avenue to celebrate this cultural significant date with a night of fun, shows, relaxation and get together. For the Chinese it gathers everyone to remind us of our cultural heritage, the roots that binds us all no matter how tenacious while for those of other races, this is an opportunity to witness what the Chinese culture is all about and to have a better understanding of their fellow Chinese, but no matter the race it is a time to just hang out for a night and forget the troubles of the coming month even for a small moment in time. You'll often hear people saying, "Wow I didn't know Shiao Wei can do wu shu, how does he break those mortars with his hands!" or "Wow she can sing like an Angel, maybe we should get to know her better after this." It is a sight to have your fellow collegues and friends displaying their skills on stage.

PAP gives the student body a yearly event to look forward to and to harness their energy into a constructive outlet. Faces in the crowd are often a reflection of the diversity of the student body on campus, there are students from Peninsular, those from Sarawak and also local Sabahans; sitting side by side are Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans, Bajaus, Muruts, Peranakans and many other ethnic groups and even foreign students such as those from China, Indonesia and Pakistan in attendance; lecturers as well as students, professional barriers broken for the night; while both ladies and gentlemen can be seen in groups or two by two all with their best dresses ans suits to flatter and astound. The event has always been held before the CNY break so that those that are due to fly back can also participate. If there is one university event that manages to evoke a sense of community moreso a family setting for the UMS student body to feel as if they belong together, this would be it. Being so far way from home and loved ones especially during the holidays cements a bond between those who only have each other here to depend on.

The problems faced in hosting such a grand event is by far no means small. It is not easy in terms of logistics, finance and planning. Candidates who aspire to lead and host the event are carefully selected, going through the process of interviews and even defending their stance on stage for evaluation of their worth. Then there are matters to attend to such as the venue for the event, transportation to ferry students living in the scattered colleges off campus and within, refreshments, acts to be held for the night, guest speakers, sponsorship and of course the selling of tickets for the event. Preparations are conducted months ahead of time to ensure the smooth running of the show. It is a proud moment too for those people that slaved hard to sacrifice time, money and effort to make this event a success, understandably they have other commitments such as work to attend to and the staging of this event is by far no small feat.

One trait that is admirable is that the committee in charge has really bonded together to solve problems like lack of funds and to elicit the ever reluctant sponsors to give generously to the event to the point that ticket prices for a student amounts to only RM5. No costly prices and fancy shenanigans costing oodles of cash, but it holds to the spirit as an event for the student community and takes into account that anyone should be able to afford the price and not be left out to the elite to attend (this year the price went up to RM8). It must be noted too that the business community have been very generous in this respect as well as the local politicians (Datuk Yong Teck Lee was a frequent guest before) who often show support by attending the event as officiating guests and with monetary support. The worst part of the negotiations is with the university itself which often wants a say in the event (in the placing of committee members of their choosing) as well as part of the profit which I don't know how they wish to justify is theirs as the project is entirely a student venture.

Singing

A choir team singing popular hits to entertain the audience.

Events shown on stage often involve elements of the Chinese culture. There will often be a dance and song recital such as the fan dance or plate dance; the local Chinese school orchestra would be called on to perform a concert playing traditional Chinese instruments such as the er hu (a long stringed instrument played using a fiddle); several student talents would lend their voice singing popular Mandarin songs; a sketch featuring comedic features; lion dance; wu shu performance and even Calligraphy (of which my old Mandarin lecturer Mr Huang would show off his skills not only by writing Chinese scripts but also the Jawi letters as well as Tamil script). The participants are well into their crafts, often seeing a standing ovation with the crowd clapping and shouting for an encore. Though one sad event was when Mr Huang wrote calligraphy in different language script and I heard the crowd jeer and sneer and even someone near my seat shouting boo, such attitude saddens me for what the event stands for, a display of culture.

Chancellor's Hall

I still think the hall looks odd; its either looks like a gigantic orange juicer or a giant contraceptive cap. What do you all think? Anyway the interior does not reflect like it's tacky outer facade.

This year it is no different, the committee members were chosen, advertising were strung through the town (though I think putting a picture of Chicken from Cartoon Network's 'Cow and Chicken' on the banners is a little too much and tacky even if it the year of the Rooster), tickets printed and made available through avenue such as Popular Books Kk, within the campus and even direct selling (they even managed to buy an ad for the GSC cinema which I caught before National treasure was showing) and the date has been set for this Saturday, January 29th. It is a good effort I must say, to make this event a yearly tradition, one to be emulated by other societies and a display of how common cause and pride can mobilize the student body to work efficiently (as compared to the usual). The venue has often been a problem, lacking space to hold the amount of people attending, the committee had often resorted to renting halls outside the campus. The first year that I attended was staged at the Yayasan Sabah building while later it was held at the Likas Stadium. This year with the completion of the Chancellor Hall, there is now a permanent staging area where the event can be held. The coup de grace the committee this year hope will attract public attendance would be a listing in the Malaysian Book of Records. That’s right after so many has been said about senseless record breaking, UMS wish to top previous effort (especially by other universities) by having the largest ‘Low Sang’ (mixing of yee sang ingredients) session in Malaysia. How this will be done I cannot fathom and its worthiness I am still questioning. If it was for a charitable purpose such as the profit of the tickets or the sale of the yee sang being channelled to worthy organisations then I am in support, but if it is to bolster up the UMS coffers I would say this is a waste of resources and time.

I’ve enjoyed the PAP in my past years, attending two out of the three previous ones. This time I’m going to give it a miss as I’ll be heading back home to Kuantan next week and there are still a lot of matters to settle before that. I am glad that the tradition lives on to this year and many has taken the torch to make it a success. To them I give a salute and my admiration. For those interested and are in town, do give it a try and maybe you’ll enjoy yourself, I know we students have. Tickets are still available at RM8 by sales from student or just pop over to Popular Books in Centerpoint, and the event is open to the general public.

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Theme Thursday: Cold

Embrace of Death

Being in a tropical country does make it hard for the recent entries for subjects such as ice, cold, icy etc. Thus here is the Iron Maiden from Nuremberg, on loan for the Tortura Exhibition at Melaka. The cold unfeeling visage beckons the unlucky soul to enter her embrace as she administer her final judgement to their last breath as their internal organs are punctured to percision by the strategically placed spikes, arranged for maximum pain yet a slow death. This is one woman's embrace I can do without. Melaka, 2004.

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Sony has my camera hostage

It’s been a long time since I wrote, those of you who follows my blog would note that there has been more photos of my usual contest entry rather than any musings or babble. Well one factor that contributed to this would be the fact that work on my masters has started and intensified over the weeks, from the initial seaweed farm survey to sample collection to reagents procurements. I’ve been cloistered in my little cubby hole of a master’s room (it’s not even ours, we have currently a lack of space and thus our room cum computer technician room is shared) trying out the 10Mbps LAN network to go surfing (when there’s time) to having extended coffee breaks in the cafeteria. Okay so there is the actual lab work but surprisingly the most time consuming of all is looking for people and getting their attention for a signature of approval or to schedule the use of lab equipment usage or some other minor matters that you require their cooperation. It’s been an 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. schedule the past week and after having dinner, spending time at Laura’s there’s hardly anytime left for any of my own pursuit (I’ve another 60 episodes of Ranma half on queue that has yet to be watched plus more assorted animes). Suffice to say that the only thought after 10 p.m. is to drop dead on the bed and die (okay so the dogs have to be fed, the laundry has to be washed and hung, clearing off my table, stocking up the fridge, reading the dailies, etc., 24 hours just doesn’t seem to be enough nowadays).

Enough personal ranting. Last Saturday I had to go rent a car to send my camera for repairs, for the SECOND time in less than a month. Previously I sent it to the shops at Lintas Plaza Kota Kinabalu with a complaint that the menu dial is malfunctioning as the menu system keeps on cycling from shoot to play to the setup screen all in its own accord. This of course makes it hard to snap photos especially close-ups which require time and set up to take and thus an unacceptable occurrence to my new camera. The other thing was a lack of sensitivity on pressing the shutter release problem. Thus with these two complaints I sent the abovementioned device to the service center and was assured that they’ll get it done. Fast forward two months later, countless phone calls to the Sony Center in Kl and Kk, and numerous enquiries the camera came back the same, with all its inherent problems.

The repair form was blank, no action whatsoever was taken on my camera and a telephone enquiry explained that the technician could not find any problems with it, plus also an enquiry about why it took 2 months to fix it was met with the answer that it was new Hari Raya and they were short on staff plus that the Kk center didn’t call me to inform that the camera was already in their position 2 weeks after I made enquiries on its whereabouts. The only difference I noted on work done onto my camera was that the photo count jumped 4000 pictures from the indicator as I sent it for servicing. They took 4000 pictures and did nothing else and made me wait 2 months when I needed it for work and leisure! They could have at least opened it up and check the circuitry which I suspect is in conflict and not just send it back with a note stating that it has nothing wrong with it. I stated that the problem was not the photo taking ability but more of menu conflict, guess the clerk at the Lintas Center couldn’t understand me.

This time I’m taking no chances, I spelt out my complains and the faults present in a 2 page letter to the technician, contemplated making a video displaying the problem as it occurs (last minute revoked as the video play was not high enough a resolution to show what actually happens) and attached the previous work order for good measure on the incompetence of handling during the previous visit. I even added a contact number and asked to be contacted if they still can’t understand the problem (time will tell if they actually paid heed to this and call). So I can’t afford another 2 months of waiting or a return of a defective camera. I’ve always been told of the excellent service imparted by Sony and that is why I’ve been loyal to their cameras changing my Sony P-9 to my Sony P-100. Keeping my fingers crossed.

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Lensday: Kinetic

Breaking

Waves breaking relentlessly onto the rocky shores of Pulau Banggi. Kudat, 2005.

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Jan 7: Improving livelihood and Philippines crossings

Another day waking to look forward to and as usual the electricity was cut short exactly at 6 a.m. Even when you feel tired you'll soon be jolted up by the sweat accumulating on your body and the heat getting un bearable. Walking to the toilet and splashing the collected rainwater onto your body brings instant relief and also a shot of cold pain. The plan was for a visitation to the participant’s farm farther off at the North point of the Banggi Island near to the Philippines border. We were loading drums of gasoline by the gallon to be distributed to the workers and participants for their boats and headed out in the larger vessel due to the distance we needed to travel and cargo allowance. The journey was about the same, Mr Ramlan followed us today tagging along was Jai and the boatman. Took about an hour or more to make the route, as we passed through islands, mangroves, small inlets and isolated villages with the only thing to do was stare into the infinite spaces and enjoy the scenery. Over the far off horizon I could make out the heavy rain clouds releasing torrential rain into the sea, yet our area was still as bright as ever though cloudy in parts.

We passed through the same area we headed through yesterday and soon we found ourselves skirting the coastline, to the right of us was the horizon stretching as far as the eye can see, the open ocean, the South China Sea, whatever you wish to call it. We stopped by several test plots where seaweed lines were strung to check their suitability and what did we find? Nothing. All the seedlings planted there were gone, just barren strings with overgrown algae. Mr Ramlan iterated that the main problem for seaweed cultivation was the sea turtles, far from being on the endangered list; the numbers of turtles here are quite large (thus the proposal for a marine park within the vicinity) and with farmers putting up seaweed lines its kin to an open invitation for them to feast. The funny part is that the turtles far from eating every single Eucheuma plant there are very selective in the species they choose to dine on. Put a cottonni and spinosum side by side and you’ll see the turtle deciding to go for the former as if a cat has the choice between a generic cat food brand compared to a Friskies meal.

Jetty

Boats moored near the jetty from the village.

The string line method is the most cost effective method there is to be introduced for impoverished farmers unable to afford costly equipment. Yet this also allows any predator to enter freely and graze the few main culprits being turtles, herbivorous fishes and sea urchins. The only protection so far that has been tried is to erect a net frame around the site but this is costly or to grow the seaweed in specially constructed net rafts which is also uneconomical. The turtle too are not afraid of humans, one of the villagers related that he once saw eye to eye with a reptile casually munching on his seaweed and didn’t even budge an inch though they were in close proximity and only flitted off after the took a few soft raps onto its head. He even jokingly said it would’ve been better if they just threw some fish bombs into the water to only see a small smile as he saw the environmentalists cringe. Things were so bad they even sunk a makeshift scarecrow replete with attire and headgear underwater but of course it was ignored. I entertained the notion of putting underwater sounding devices near the farms to scare them off but it’s just a thought.

Navy

Navy vessels berthed near Karakit for security purposes.

On our way along we passed by a navy ship anchored by the coast, apparently of late they stumbled across a smuggling ring which left behind several cartons of cigarettes, shabu and fish detonators as they saw the officers approaching their hideout. It was a huge vessel and the crew were all armed, highlighting the problems inherent in safeguarding a vast sea border with thousands of island to hide in. Our first village we stopped at was an hours away from the Philippines border. Here we met with one of the local participants who filled us in about the latest happenings. To obtain new strains of seaweed as well as seed stock it was arranged that a large boat was rented and several villagers would set off to the islands on the Philippines side to make purchases, money in the form of Pesos were handed to them for the transaction. All this of course was not entirely legal as no permission nor border check was carried out for the journey but so were many of the villagers without actual identification papers and ICs so no surprise there.

Harvest

Collected seaweed being brought on board to be weighed.

We didn’t stay long, after a short discussion with the participants and ensuring that plans were to proceed smoothly we had to make our way to the other village to drop off fuel. Here we waited as they harvested their fields and bags of newly formed Eucheuma were hauled onto our boat to be weighed. Prices for the farmers were 30 cents for 1 kg of seaweed, these sold to the factories would increase in prices of RM3 and processing carrageenan would be worth hundreds of dollars. To this point the project focuses on teaching the farmers to cultivate their fields with UMS project farms supplying healthy seedlings to them. In the end it is hoped that the villagers would be self sustaining and be able to produce the seaweed with little or no assistance. At present it is still frustrating as the villagers sometimes do not follow advice such as on methods to improve yield nor do they actually care in terms of quality and more concerned on getting quantity as well as good prices.

Continues in Part 2.............

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To all a happy Thaipusam

Flame

I had the privilage of once attending the Thaipusam festival held at Batu Caves about 2 years ago, since then I still long to visit and gather photos of the event yet prevented by distance and schedule. It is one of the more known celebrations pertaining to Hindu culture here in Malaysia and the yearly pilgrimage has been shown on such famous spots such as GlobeTrekkers and Lonely Planet. Devotees fast, observe abstenance and conduct acts of faith such as the mentally and spiritually demanding kavadi carrying (huge metal constructs decorated with elaborate designs borne on their bodies with hooks and spikes). Kavadi carriers are often in a trance and thus when the spikes and roads are inserted into their bodies, there is an absence of blood and pain. Others carry milk containers or wield their kids upon sugarcane hung cloth for blessings with a ritual shaving of the baby's head. Some go to fulfill a vow to Lord Murugan, others to pay penance or thanksgiving while some seek healing or better treatment of their lives. Processions are held where devotees parade from one destination to the next with the main event culminating with the chariot of Lord Murugan and the devotees arriving and ascending the steps to Batu Caves. Celebrations are also held on a grand scale in Penang with processions and coconut breaking.

To all Malaysians especially those celebrating the festival, Happy Thaipusam.

Visit: AllMalaysia

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National Treasure review

Finally made time to watch the show. Many films and books have been written about the conspiracy of the Knights Templar and their connection with the Freemason Society as well as their legacy to their association with top members of society, especially those of the American founding fathers and head of states. It is even evident that Freemason imagery is seen so vividly with the ‘All Seeing Eye’ over the unfinished pyramid in their Dollar bill as well as monuments such as Cleopatra’s Needle facing the Washington Monument. The Da Vinci Code tells of their involvement in safeguarding and propagating the lineage of Jesus Christ as was written in the past in books such as Holy Grail Holy Blood and seen in games such as Jane Jansen’s Gabriel Knight 3. Truth or myth, it has never been proven.

National Treasure continues this theme by entwining this mythology with history; that of a hidden treasure fought over through time and handed down by the Freemasons to the Americans during the Civil War. Ben Gates (Nicholas Cage) is in a long line of treasure hunters, looking out for this legendary treasure that has been entrusted to their family ever since the early days of the War of Independence. His grandfather imparted the story and though his father was disillusioned about it and belief the treasure is a myth, Ben set forth single minded to find out the truth and redeem his family name.

Tracing clue after clue, he moves ever closer to the final goal facing down obstacles and danger all through his journey. He soon finds himself in competition with Ian Howe (Sean Bean) whom he had a past affiliation as partners until a disagreement in stealing the Declaration of Independence (which a map to the treasure was inscribed) lead to their fallout and later as competitors, Ben wanting to preserve the treasure and Ian wanting to get it for himself by whatever means. Along the way he is accompanied by his faithful sidekick and later crossing path with Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger), a restoration expert that unwittingly finds herself along for the ride.

The premise and theory of the treasure’s existence may be a little hard to swallow but in real life much debate has been focus on the actual ties of the Templar, Freemasons and Americans as well as a well kept secret. You might be caught up in the conspiracy within the conspiracy but the puzzles and clues brought forth in the movie are great. The film is filled with action and tense moments throughout with a pace that will leave you guessing what will happen next. Nicholas Cage is in his best form and well suited for the role as the gung-ho treasure seeker (we shall see if Tom Hanks can pull out such a good performance as Robert Langdon for the Da Vinci Code). The cinematography is good (what do you expect from Jerry Bruckheimer with his trademark suspense and action style from CSI) and will leave you awestruck with the varied location featured. Overall it is a good movie, won’t win an Oscar but will keep you entertained and leaving with the satisfaction of your money well spent. If given a comparison, it's definitely better than Tomb Raider and almost on par with classics such as Indiana Jones.

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Moody Monday: Gloomy

All alone

An old lady sits dejectedly in a corner of the stairs at a market along Jalan Penang, no home, no family, maybe even no longer the will the go on. A gloomy reality in this world we live in even during the best of times. Georgetown, Penang, 2004.

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Sunday Shoot: Home

Hermit

Hermit crab found along shore of Patar beach, carrying around its home where ever it goes along. Bolinao, Philippines, 2004.

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Photo Friday: Crowded

Carps

Carps swimming in a pond. Bukit Tinggi, Pahang, 2004.

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View from Kl Tower

The Kuala Lumpur Tower (Kl Tower/Menara Kuala Lumpur) offers a spectacular and breathtaking view of the city and its surroundings. It was rated as the fourth highest concrete tower (421 m) in the world as of its completion (1996) yet I believe this has somewhat been downgraded in recent years with newer structures but Kl tower is still one of the tallest edifice in the world moreso in Kuala lumpur. The other three before it are; CN Tower in Canada (553 meters), Ostankino Tower in Russia (537 meters) and Shanghai Tower in China (450 meters). Certainly a visit to Kl should not give this place a miss and visitors to Kl should at least visit the Tower at least once. Situated on Bukit Nenas it gives an unobstructed 360 degree view to visitors who can also take a peek into the multiple viewing scopes provided to get even more intimate with the city. Patrons could also enjoy a meal on its revolving restaurant (Sri Angkasa) which is available for booking for functions as well. It is a refreshing drive up with greenery from the Bukit Nenas forest reserve while various stalls are located along the boulevard at the foot of the Tower. Not forgetting are the nightspots and bars found nearby. Special care was given in preserving a 100 year old Jelutong tree near the construction site.

Tourists would have to make ticket purchases from the base and would be given a guided tour into the premise. The lift bank is adorned with a glass crystal dome (designed by Iranian craftsmen) and this must have been one of the fastest lift ride I've had up! The artistic decor is based on islamic designs with emphasis on geometric forms. Pictures taken from the deck can be great. Too bad these pictures were taken near the end of the haze season and thus a lack of visibility of the outermost city edges. All pictures below were taken from the public observation platform.

Aerial view 01

Aerial view 02

Aerial view 03

Aerial view 04

Aerial view 05

Aerial view 06

Aerial view 07

Aerial view 08

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Theme Thursday: Shadow

Mary

A statue of the Mother Mary hidden amidst the shrubs. Situated along the corridors of the St. Thomas Church. Kuantan, Pahang, 2004.

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